By Realtor.com
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision on Friday not only opens the doors to legal same-sex marriage throughout the 50 states—it will also help increase homeownership among LGBT couples.
“As with other momentous social landmarks, this progress will trigger key milestones along the path to homeownership,” Sherry Chris, CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, said in a statement. She noted that the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community is “a powerful market segment that represents an estimated buying power of $840 billion.”
That’s a lot of buying power, and legal marriage will only make it stronger. With home prices rising and mortgage requirements increasingly stringent, two incomes are pretty much required to afford a home in much of the country, and marriage helps convince lenders of a couple’s mortgage-worthiness.
